Prostitute-turned-NYC-teacher resigns

For the first time, the prostitute-turned-New York City-elementary school teacher is speaking out.

Melissa Petro, an art teacher, recently resigned from P.S. 70 in the Bronx.

She revealed her colored past in a popular blog, and is now talking about why she decided to do that.

"I do believe they could have stood behind me," said Melissa Petro, a former New York City teacher.

Melissa Petro announced her official resignation from her job at P.S. 70 after the city's Department of Education was seeking to fire her.

She stood with high-power attorney Gloria Allred.

The two of them accuse the city of violating Petro's rights to free speech after she blogged about her past life as a stripper and call girl.

They claim she was about to lose her job because of who she used to be.

"This is a modern day witch hunt, they want her out because she was a call girl and a stripper," Allred said.

In a statement, the DOE said, "People have a right to freedom of speech, but we expect our teachers to remember their obligations as public employees and role models to children. Ms. Petro failed to live up to those obligations and she has no one to blame but herself."

"I am proud of the work I did as a teacher, I worked hard," Petro said.

Petro and her lawyer are insisting that if their case had gone to court hey would have won.

"I do not believe I would have ever been welcome back into the classroom by the DOE and I have no interest in putting myself in places where I am not welcome," Petro said.

She also spoke about her past life as a prostitute.

"That choice for me was a mistake," Petro said.

One of the most obvious questions that went unanswered Thursday is why Melissa Petro is speaking out now, when she certainly doesn't want her job back, in the city schools.